A living will in Enfield, New Hampshire is sometimes called a "healthcare directive" or something comparable. But whatever you call it, it's a legally-binding document which provides directions for your family members as well as you doctors on how you want end-of-life medical care to be handled. It lets them know in advance what you want.

Making a living will can save your family a great deal of grief. There are some pretty terrible instances that a living will can help you avoid. It's not uncommon for a patient to become incapacitated, leaving the doctors with only a few options. Members of your family might disagree over what you would want, leading to an extremely painful disagreement, which could have been easily avoided if they'd simply known.

For instance, some people don't want to be kept on life support if they are in a vegetative state with no considerable chance of recovery. Others, however, might prefer to be kept alive as long as humanly feasible. Another person's wishes might be something in between. In any case, if the family doesn't know what their loved one's wishes are, they may have to guess, which could lead to them making a choice that the patient would never have wanted.

Additionally, if family members have different opinions of what the patient would want, this can give rise to infighting. Disagreements on such a painful subject can tear families apart. If the patient's wishes are made clear in advance, such arguments and disagreements are far less likely.

How to Create A Living Will in Enfield, New Hampshire

Before taking any steps to create a living will, you should make your wishes known to your family. While it's ultimately your decision (and your family will probably recognize that), they will likely appreciate having their opinions heard. Furthermore, implementing a living will can be much easier if the family already knows what it says, with the document simply making it legally-binding.

Now comes the part where you actually draft the living will. The process is likely to go much more smoothly if you enlist the help of a qualified attorney in Enfield, New Hampshire who is experienced in drafting documents like this.

Typically, living wills need to follow the same formalities as testamentary wills (wills that dictate how one's property is to be distributed after death).

These formalities vary from state to state, but wills normally have to be witnessed and signed by at least two people who do not have a direct interest in the matter. Furthermore, they should contain a clear statement indicating that the document is, in fact, a living will.

Do I Need A Enfield, New Hampshire Living Will Attorney?

While not always necessary, a seasoned healthcare or wills attorney in Enfield, New Hampshire can make this process much easier. Lawyers, obviously, understand the law. Because of this, it is much easier for them to prevent the legal pitfalls that can make a living will unenforceable.